BIG BROTHER WATCH AND OTHERS v. THE UNITED KINGDOM JUDGMENT
In the case of Big Brother Watch and Others v. the United Kingdom,
The European Court of Human Rights, sitting as a Grand Chamber
composed of:
Robert Spano, President,
Jon Fridrik Kjølbro,
Angelika Nußberger,
Paul Lemmens,
Yonko Grozev,
Vincent A. De Gaetano,
Paulo Pinto de Albuquerque,
Faris Vehabović,
Iulia Antoanella Motoc,
Carlo Ranzoni,
Mārtiņš Mits,
Gabriele Kucsko-Stadlmayer,
Marko Bošnjak,
Tim Eicke,
Darian Pavli,
Erik Wennerström,
Saadet Yüksel, judges,
and Søren Prebensen, Deputy Grand Chamber Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 11 July 2019, on 4 and
6 September 2019 and on 17 February 2021,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on the
last-mentioned date:
PROCEDURE
1. The case originated in three applications (nos. 58170/13, 62322/14
and 24960/15) against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”)
by the companies, charities, organisations and individuals listed in the
annex (“the applicants”) on 4 September 2013, 11 September 2014 and
20 May 2015 respectively.
2. The applicants were represented by Mr D. Carey, of Deighton Pierce
Glynn Solicitors; Ms R. Curling, of Leigh Day and Co. Solicitors; and
Ms E. Norton, of Liberty. The United Kingdom Government
(“the Government”)
were
represented
by
their
Agent,
Mr C. Wickremasinghe, of the then Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
3. The applicants complained about the scope and magnitude of the
electronic surveillance programmes operated by the Government of the
United Kingdom.
4. The applications were communicated to the Government on 7 January
2014, 5 January 2015 and 24 November 2015. In the first case, leave to
intervene was granted to Human Rights Watch, Access Now, Dutch Against
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